Firebrand (Marvel Comics)
Encyclopedia
Firebrand is the codename of three fictional supervillain
s in the Marvel Comics
universe
. All three were normal humans inside powered armor and relied on fire-based weapons. The first and third Firebrands, Gilbert and Dennison, both of whom were enemies of Iron Man
, are much better known than the second Firebrand, Broxtel, who made only a handful of appearances.
and Don Heck
.
The character subsequently appeared in Iron Man #48 (July 1972), #59 (June 1973), #74-75 (May–June 1975), #77 (August 1975), #80-81 (November–December 1975), #172 (July 1983), and was killed by the Scourge of the Underworld
in Captain America #318-319 (June–July 1986).
Firebrand received an entry in the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Deluxe Edition
#17.
. A superpowered enforcer for corrupt industrialist Justin Hammer
, as Firebrand he is a former radical activist saboteur who turned to violence after believing peaceful protest produced no results.
Firebrand accidentally killed his own father. He also won the Black Lama
's "war of the supervillains". He fell to alcoholism and gave up political activism only to work for other villains because he "needed the work". He later gave up his costumed identity and became a "supervillain agent", brokering employment for other costumed villains.
When news of the Scourge of the Underworld
's initial wave of supervillain murders spread among the criminal community, Gilbert took it upon himself to gather several costumed criminals for a meeting to determine what should be done about this menace. The meeting, held at an abandoned tavern in Medina County, Ohio, known among the criminal underworld as "The Bar With No Name", turned out to be a massacre, as Scourge infiltrated the event disguised as a bartender; a few minutes into the meeting, Scourge slaughtered every criminal present, including Gilbert, with machine gun fire.
Firebrand was later among the seventeen criminals, all murdered by the Scourge, to be resurrected by Hood
using the power of Dormammu
as part of a squad assembled to eliminate the Punisher
. His fire powers are augmented, and he can melt through concrete or metal. After the Punisher is captured, he is present at the ritual where the Hood intends to resurrect the Punisher's family. Microchip
shoots G. W. Bridge
in the head, which activates the ritual using Bridge's life force to resurrect Microchip and Punisher's families. The Punisher refuses to accept this, and forces Firebrand to burn them alive, and then shoots Firebrand in the back of the head.
. He made only a handful of appearances and fought Spider-Man
, Cloak and Dagger
, and the New Warriors
.
Firebrand was later hired by R.A.I.D and helped into London by Fasaud
. The Arabian Knight
confronted Firebrand who struck back with a wall of flame. Protected by his magic uniform, the Knight stopped Firebrand.
After Civil War, Firebrand returned to the United States. Donning a new suit, he attempted to rob a gas station. He was stopped by Young Avengers members Hawkeye
and Patriot.
Firebrand escaped and was later seen along with King Cobra, Mauler
and Mister Hyde
, who attacked Yellowjacket, Constrictor and other Initiative staff and trainees.
eco-terrorist who worked with a group called the Flaming Sword, and he fought Iron Man
on several occasions.
After he recovered, Firebrand returned with the Flaming Sword and kidnapped Osborn Chemical vice-president Charles Standish. They were confronted by the Avengers
and they were defeated.
Supervillain
A supervillain or supervillainess is a variant of the villain character type, commonly found in comic books, action movies and science fiction in various media.They are sometimes used as foils to superheroes and other fictional heroes...
s in the Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
universe
Marvel Universe
The Marvel Universe is the shared fictional universe where most comic book titles and other media published by Marvel Entertainment take place, including those featuring Marvel's most familiar characters, such as Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, and the Avengers.The Marvel Universe is further...
. All three were normal humans inside powered armor and relied on fire-based weapons. The first and third Firebrands, Gilbert and Dennison, both of whom were enemies of Iron Man
Iron Man
Iron Man is a fictional character, a superhero in the . The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, first appearing in Tales of Suspense #39 .A billionaire playboy, industrialist and ingenious engineer,...
, are much better known than the second Firebrand, Broxtel, who made only a handful of appearances.
Firebrand (Gary Gilbert)
Publication history
Firebrand first appeared in Iron Man vol. 1 #27 (July 1970), and was created by Archie GoodwinArchie Goodwin (comics)
Archie Goodwin was an American comic book writer, editor, and artist. He worked on a number of comic strips in addition to comic books, and is best known for his Warren and Marvel Comics work...
and Don Heck
Don Heck
Don Heck was an American comic book artist best known for co-creating the Marvel Comics character Iron Man, and for his long run penciling the Marvel superhero-team series The Avengers during the 1960s Silver Age of comic books.-Early life and career:Born in the Jamaica neighborhood of Queens, New...
.
The character subsequently appeared in Iron Man #48 (July 1972), #59 (June 1973), #74-75 (May–June 1975), #77 (August 1975), #80-81 (November–December 1975), #172 (July 1983), and was killed by the Scourge of the Underworld
Scourge of the Underworld
The Scourge of the Underworld is the name of a series of fictional characters that have appeared in various series set in the Marvel Comics universe....
in Captain America #318-319 (June–July 1986).
Firebrand received an entry in the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Deluxe Edition
Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe
The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe is an encyclopedic guide which details the fictional universe featured in Marvel Comics publications...
#17.
Fictional character biography
Gary Gilbert was born in Detroit, MichiganDetroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
. A superpowered enforcer for corrupt industrialist Justin Hammer
Justin Hammer
Justin Hammer is a fictional character that has appeared in various comic book series published by Marvel Comics. As a frequent adversary of the superhero Iron Man, Justin Hammer exists in Marvel's main shared universe, known as the Marvel Universe...
, as Firebrand he is a former radical activist saboteur who turned to violence after believing peaceful protest produced no results.
Firebrand accidentally killed his own father. He also won the Black Lama
Black Lama
Black Lama is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe.-Publication history:Black Lama first appeared in Iron Man #53 , and was created by Mike Friedrich, George Tuska, and Jim Starlin....
's "war of the supervillains". He fell to alcoholism and gave up political activism only to work for other villains because he "needed the work". He later gave up his costumed identity and became a "supervillain agent", brokering employment for other costumed villains.
When news of the Scourge of the Underworld
Scourge of the Underworld
The Scourge of the Underworld is the name of a series of fictional characters that have appeared in various series set in the Marvel Comics universe....
's initial wave of supervillain murders spread among the criminal community, Gilbert took it upon himself to gather several costumed criminals for a meeting to determine what should be done about this menace. The meeting, held at an abandoned tavern in Medina County, Ohio, known among the criminal underworld as "The Bar With No Name", turned out to be a massacre, as Scourge infiltrated the event disguised as a bartender; a few minutes into the meeting, Scourge slaughtered every criminal present, including Gilbert, with machine gun fire.
Firebrand was later among the seventeen criminals, all murdered by the Scourge, to be resurrected by Hood
Hood (comics)
The Hood is a fictional character, a supervillain, and a crime boss in the . Created by writer Brian K. Vaughan and artists Kyle Hotz and Eric Powell, the character first appeared in The Hood #1 .-Publication history:...
using the power of Dormammu
Dormammu
Dormammu is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Strange Tales #126 Dormammu is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Strange Tales #126 Dormammu is a...
as part of a squad assembled to eliminate the Punisher
Punisher
The Punisher is a fictional character, an anti-hero appearing in comic books based in the . Created by writer Gerry Conway and artists John Romita, Sr., and Ross Andru, the character made its first appearance in The Amazing Spider-Man #129 .The Punisher is a vigilante who employs murder,...
. His fire powers are augmented, and he can melt through concrete or metal. After the Punisher is captured, he is present at the ritual where the Hood intends to resurrect the Punisher's family. Microchip
Microchip (comics)
David Linus "Microchip" Lieberman is a fictional comic book character in the Marvel Universe. Created by writer Mike Baron and artist Klaus Janson, he first appeared in The Punisher #4 as an ally of The Punisher for many years. He assisted the Punisher by building weapons, supplying technology...
shoots G. W. Bridge
G. W. Bridge
George Washington "G. W." Bridge is a fictional character in the , created by Fabian Nicieza and Rob Liefeld. He is a former mercenary and high-ranking agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.. Currently, he is the leader of the Six Pack. He first appeared as an antagonist in X-Force #1.-Fictional character...
in the head, which activates the ritual using Bridge's life force to resurrect Microchip and Punisher's families. The Punisher refuses to accept this, and forces Firebrand to burn them alive, and then shoots Firebrand in the back of the head.
Firebrand (Russ Broxtel)
After Gilbert's death, a man named Russ Broxtel was seen acting as the new fire-themed member of the eco-terrorist group known as the Force of NatureForce of Nature (comics)
The Force of Nature is a group of super villains in the Marvel Comics Universe who each have elemental themed powers: earth, fire, water, and wind...
. He made only a handful of appearances and fought Spider-Man
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
, Cloak and Dagger
Cloak and Dagger (comics)
Cloak and Dagger are a fictional comic book superhero duo in the . They were created by writer William "Bill" Mantlo and designed by artist Edward Hannigan.-Publication history:...
, and the New Warriors
New Warriors
The New Warriors is a Marvel Comics superhero team, traditionally consisting of young adult heroes. They first appeared in The Mighty Thor #411 .-General publication history:...
.
Firebrand was later hired by R.A.I.D and helped into London by Fasaud
Fasaud
Fasaud , is a fictional character appearing in the comic books published by Marvel Comics. Fasaud is usually portrayed as a supervillain and initially appeared as an adversary of the Fantastic Four.-Publication history:...
. The Arabian Knight
Arabian Knight (comics)
Arabian Knight is a title used by three fictional characters appearing in the comic books published by Marvel Comics. All three characters are superheroes from Saudi Arabia.-Abdul Qamar:...
confronted Firebrand who struck back with a wall of flame. Protected by his magic uniform, the Knight stopped Firebrand.
After Civil War, Firebrand returned to the United States. Donning a new suit, he attempted to rob a gas station. He was stopped by Young Avengers members Hawkeye
Hawkeye (Kate Bishop)
Hawkeye is a fictional character. She is a member of the Young Avengers, a team of superheroes in the Marvel Comics' shared universe, the Marvel Universe...
and Patriot.
Firebrand escaped and was later seen along with King Cobra, Mauler
Mauler (comics)
Mauler is a name used by two fictional characters that appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The first version appears in Daredevil #167 and was created by David Michelinie and Frank Miller...
and Mister Hyde
Mister Hyde (comics)
Mister Hyde is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics supervillain. His first appearance was in Journey into Mystery #99, 1963.-Publication history:...
, who attacked Yellowjacket, Constrictor and other Initiative staff and trainees.
Firebrand (Rick Dennison)
Richard L. "Rick" Dennison was the third Firebrand. He was an anti-capitalistCapitalism
Capitalism is an economic system that became dominant in the Western world following the demise of feudalism. There is no consensus on the precise definition nor on how the term should be used as a historical category...
eco-terrorist who worked with a group called the Flaming Sword, and he fought Iron Man
Iron Man
Iron Man is a fictional character, a superhero in the . The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, first appearing in Tales of Suspense #39 .A billionaire playboy, industrialist and ingenious engineer,...
on several occasions.
After he recovered, Firebrand returned with the Flaming Sword and kidnapped Osborn Chemical vice-president Charles Standish. They were confronted by the Avengers
Avengers (comics)
The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers...
and they were defeated.
Powers, abilities, and equipment
Gary Gilbert wore a suit with an armored exoskeleton that gave him superhuman strength and resistance to fire. It also housed flamethrowers (which allowed him to fire thermal blasts from his hands), one mounted on each wrist, and flying jets that gave him the ability to fly. Broxtel uses a modified version of the Firebrand suit. Dennison was actually a mutated human being whose body temperature was up in the high hundreds; he could project heat rays of thousands of degrees. He was equipped with a cybernetic harness which could reconfigure itself into different modes if he mentally commanded it to do so.Television
- The Gary Gilbert version of Firebrand appeared in the Iron ManIron Man (TV series)Iron Man, also known as Iron Man: The Animated Series, is an American animated television series based on Marvel Comics' superhero Iron Man...
episode "Fire and Rain" voiced by Neal McDonoughNeal McDonoughNeal P. McDonough is an American film, television and voice actor.-Career:In 1991, McDonough won the Best Actor Dramalogue for "Away Alone". McDonough has made many television and film appearances since then, including Band of Brothers, Boomtown, Star Trek: First Contact, Minority Report and The...
. This version of Firebrand is the son of the late ex-Stark IndustriesStark IndustriesIn the fictional world of Iron Man, Stark Industries, later also known as Stark International, Stark Innovations, Stark/Fujikawa, Stark Enterprises and currently Stark Resilient, is a fictional multi-billion dollar corporation owned and run by businessman Anthony Edward "Tony" Stark, also known as...
employee Simon Gilbert. Firebrand was attacking power sources and demanding a ransom of a million dollars. After a series of arson upon power generators, Iron Man confronted Firebrand and had to use his Inferno Armor to confront him. With the lack of solar energy, Iron Man had a hard time stopping a dam that Firebrand detonated. A fragment of the dam hits Firebrand's jet pack causing him to fall into the flood. With Iron Man low on power, War MachineWar MachineWar Machine is a fictional character, a comic book superhero appearing in comic books set in the Marvel Comics universe. The character of James Rhodes first appeared in Iron Man #118 by David Michelinie, John Byrne and Bob Layton...
had to face his fear of water to rescue Iron Man and Firebrand. After diverting the flood, Iron Man and War Machine handed Firebrand over to the police. - Firebrand appears in the Iron Man: Armored AdventuresIron Man: Armored AdventuresIron Man: Armored Adventures is a 3D CGI cartoon series based on the Marvel Comics superhero Iron Man. It debuted in the USA on the Nicktoons on April 24, 2009, and has already begun airing on Canadian network Teletoon. The series is story edited by showrunner Christopher Yost, who also worked on...
episode "World On Fire." This version is a fire spirit and the guardian of the 4th Makluan Ring located in the Temple of Temperance at the foot of Mt. Saint Helens. When James Rhodes becomes possessed by Firebrand, upon inadvertently throwing ice into a pillar of light, it turns him into a powerful lava monster thus starting the Test of Temperance. When PepperPepper PottsVirginia "Pepper" Potts is a fictional character, a supporting character and a love interest of Iron Man in the Marvel Comics Universe...
ends up doing the opposite by throwing coal into the light, Firebrand leaves James' body and possesses Pepper. James manages to call up GeneMandarin (comics)The Mandarin is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics supervillain and the archenemy of Iron Man.In 2009, Mandarin was ranked as IGN's 81st Greatest Comic Book Villain of All Time.-Publication history:...
and learns that the coals and the ice must go in the light together. Once that was done, Firebrand leaves Pepper's body.
External links
- Firebrand I at Marvel Wiki